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AMONG THE BERKSHIRE 
AND LITCHFIELD HILLS 



HE Berkshire and Litchfield Hills 
resorts have long been renowned 
as summering places. The loveli- 
ness of this hill country has 
often been described in enthusi- 
astic terms by famous pens, for 
hither have come authors, poete 

preachers, and journalists of vv^ide renown, and all 

were charmed at what they saw. 

Everywhere are superb slopes and vales, gems of 

lakes, gorgeously tinted mountains and valleys. 

Nature's inimitable grace has touched this region 




with lavish hand. To the mere physical beauty of 
lovely hills, clothed to the top with verdure and of 
green, sunlit valleys, traversed by sparkling streams, 
she has added a subtle and m5'sterious charm that 
baffles adequate description. 

The accessibility of "The Hills" lends not a little 
to the pleasure attendant upon summering there, 
while the route through the valleys of the Housa- 
tonic and the Shepaug presents an ever-varying 
panorama of which the eye never tires. 

For the convenience of the prospective visitor, 
this book is prepared as a running narrative, first 



The Manual of Sumwer Resorts, loliich contains a list of the principal hotels and boarding cottages in the Bcrkshires, may 
be obtained in New York, at City Ticket Office, lyi Broadway; and in Boston, at City Ticket office, cor. Conrt and Washington Sts. 
Or write Advertising Bureau, South Station, Boston, Mass. 




EVERYWHERE ARE SUPERB SLOPES AND VALES AND LAKES 
I 



©C1.A31GL33 



<^ 



COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN 
AND HARTFORD RAILROAD CO. 




AN EVER-VARYING PANORAMA OF WHICH THE EYE NEVER TIRES 



describing the Housatonic River running through 
the very center of the Berkshires and adding to 
their material and scenic features, and then briefly 
treating in paragraphs the principal summering 
places. The half-tone illustrations give only a sug- 
gestion of the grand vievi's in which the region 
abounds. 

No summer visitor to the Berkshires need want 
for good golfing. Splendid, well-kept links laid 
out over a beautiful country are within easy reach 
of the principal Berkshire resorts. 

In all but the most remote districts there are 
smooth, hard roads — ideal for automobiling. The 
grades are easy and each turn of the road opens up 
a vista of delightful country. 

There are adequate, luxurious accommodations 
for summer visitors here. Almost every village, no 



matter how small, has excellent facilities for the 
entertainment of guests, and in the larger towns are 
hotels that are renowned for their luxurious service 
and cuisine. 

A pleasant way to spend a vacation is to take 
walking trips through these Hills. A supplemental 
leaflet, giving a list of accessible points of interest, 
with distances, will be sent upon application to the 
Advertising Bureau of the New York, New Haven 
& Hartford Railroad, South Station, Boston, Mass. 
It merely suggests the possibilities of the region 
for walking^ mountain climbing, automobiling, and 
driving. 

The center and most attractive portion of the 
Berkshire Hills is closely identified with the Hou- 
satonic River, which flows from north to south 
through the whole of the western section of Connec- 



ticut, and not very far east of the line separating this 
State from that of New York; and through the 
greater part, also, of the corresponding portion of 
Massachusetts. From the point near Pittsfield, 
where the two rivulets, which form its source, unite 
their waters, to that section of the Long Island 
Sound shore, which is cleft by its mouth, the river's 
general course covers about one hundred and fifty 
miles. 

On its way southward, the Housatonic is joined 
by several tributaries flowing into it on either side ; 
its hilly, often mountainous, surroundings insuring 
this as a natural result, but its volume of water is 
nowhere very great. 

It is, perhaps, superfluous to note that the name 
"Housatonic" is of Indian origin, so many of the 
localities, streams, and watersheets of New England 
having titles received from this source. Indian 
names always have a significant meaning, and are 
usually suggested by some peculiarity or feature in 
the object christened. "Housatonic" is said to mean 
"Among the Mountains," and certainly such a trans- 
lation gives warrant for the adoption of the title, 
for few watercourses in New England flow for so 
great a part of their length through mountain and 
hill scenery. 

The distance from Pittsfield to the dividing line 
between Massachusetts and Connecticut consumes 
about one-third of the length of this river, although 
its windings and turnings on the Massachusetts side 
represents a generous half of its real length. 

From Pittsfield to the State line the river falls 





MAIN STREET, RIDGEFIELD 



EAST RIDGE, RIDGEFIELD 



about 300 feet ; and from the State line to its mouth, 
its descent in Connecticut is about six hundred and 
fifty feet. 

It may be well imagined that where this descent 
takes place, mainly over a succession of cascades and 
waterfalls, the element of animation could hardly 
be wanting. Nevertheless, the Housatonic is not so 
rapid or so bold a stream as is usually the case with 
rivers born upon and fed from mountain sides; and 
its gentle, ambitious flow exhibits rather the anima- 
tion of the joyous and beautiful in nature than any- 
thing wild or excessive. 

Thus, through the heart of old Berkshire, the 
Housatonic runs, rising almost under the shadow of 
ancient Greylock In the north, and ministering in its 
course to towns and villages with such familiar names 
as Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, 
and a host of other well-known communities. 

In modern days it has become the rule that every 
river of any size or distinction in the populous parts 
of the country shall have its corresponding railroad, 
the river valley being utilized for the construction 
of such a highway, which becomes at once a develop- 
ing as well as a ministering agency. The Housa- 
tonic Valley is paralleled nearly its entire length by 
the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad — 
connecting Pittsfield with the Berkshire section of 
Massachusetts, directly with South Norwalk on the 
Long Island Sound shore and incidentally with 




SIDENCK IN LITCliri 



Bridgeport and New Haven, on the same coast. By 
way of South Norwalk, the connection from Pitts- 
field and the Housatonic River sections to New 
York City is direct and complete. 

Indeed, no other railroad reaches directly the sum- 
mer centers of Lenox, Stockbridge and other famous 
resorts of southern Berkshire. The express trains of 
the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad 
to and from these sections provide splendid transpor- 
tation service. 

THUS far in this sketch the general course of 
the Housatonic River, from its source at Pitts- 
field to its outlet in Long Island Sound, has 
been briefly outlined, and the railroad facilities be- 
tween New York City and the Berkshire Hills have 
been still more briefly set forth. In order that the 
object of this little book may be more perfectly 
attained, and that both the natural features of the 
Berkshire Hills and the transportation enterprise 
which ministers to this section may be thoroughly 
understood, the order of description will now be 
reversed and a view of the whole territory taken 
from south to north, instead of, as in the foregoing, 
from north to south. 

The line of the New York, New Haven & Hart- 
ford Railroad to these localities follows the Sound 
Shore to South Norwalk, where it turns abruptly to 
the north and continues in that general direction 
throughout the Berkshire and Litchfield Hills 
section. 



Ridgefield 

About fifty-seven miles from New York, at the 
terminus of a short spur leading off to the west- 
ward from Branchville, lies the village of Ridge- 
field. This village is about midway between South 
Norwalk and the manufacturing city of Danbury, 
and may be taken as illustrative of the quality of the 
villages in this section as summer resorts, it being 
well known far and wide as a representative New 
England locality in this regard, especially the kind 
frequently to be met with in this portion of the 
region. 

Beautiful for situation, healthful and recreative 
in all its natural influences, and possessing charms 
of scenery irresistibly attractive to all visitors and 
residents, Ridgefield could easily do without the 
historic associations which have rendered it famous 
and still occupy a high place in the estimation of all 
lovers of nature, and of quiet, rural, restful locali- 
ties. Although only a short distance from the sea- 
shore, the village lies 8oo feet above tide-water and 
possesses many of the advantages of freedom from 
the adverse influences of summer that are claimed 
exclusively for hill tops and mountain sides many 
scores of miles inland. 

Near at hand are hills and vales, with brooks 
and streams winding and shimmering among them, 
charming watersheets outspread at intervals, and 
greenest grass and foliage adorning on every side — 
these are the natural characteristics which render 




OVERLOOKING NEW PRESTON 




w'oi.roTT iroi'SF, i_ttciififi.i 



Litchfield 

Neither is this valley entirely without historic 
significance. Litchfield, the northern terminus of 
the branch, is one of the oldest of the Connecticut 
"settlements." This town is the county seat of 
Litchfield County, and "once claimed jurisdiction 
to the Mississippi River," the first law school in 
America having here been established. It is in the 
midst of a fine farming section, and is built upon a 
broad plateau 1,200 feet above the sea-level. 

Litchfield village is suggestive of all that is colo- 
nial and valued through old associations in New 
England, but for the summer visitor its principal 
charms are the cool breezes and restful influences 
that are ever present and active among its hills. 



the place superbly invit- 
ing in summer time, and, 
indeed, throughout the 
greater portion of the 
year. 

AT Danbury connec- 
^ tion is made with 
the Litchfield 
branch, running off 
northeastward to Litch- 
field, its terminus, having 
along its line some of the most interesting summer 
villages and resorts. 

This branch occupies, for nearly its whole length, 
the valley of the Shepaug River, a small but beauti- 
ful stream, which, taking its rise in the hills not far 
north of Litchfield and flowing through Bantam 
Lake, finally empties into the Housatonic River in 
Shepaug township. 

This Shepaug Valley is an ideally beautiful section 
in summer, presenting attractions such as few can 
resist. Its towns, villages, and hamlets have farm- 
ing as their principal industry, some fine tobacco 
crops being raised, as well as the ordinary products 
of the southern New England agricultdral sections. 

It might go without telling that the drives and 
excursion routes through this valley and its neigh- 
borhoods are especially attractive. 




W'ARAMAUG LAKE, NEW PRESTON 




COUNTRY UIGIIWAVS ADOU.XED BY RICH FOLIAGE" 




THE VILLAGE GREEN, LITCHFIELD 



The Litchfield streets are one hundred, and some- 
times two hundred, feet in width, and are lined 
with ancient elms, perfected by many decades of 
growth, which make a truly picturesque setting for 
the stately old mansions on every hand. 

About three miles southwest of the village lies 
Bantam Lake, the largest lake in the State, with 
an area of about 900 acres, and well stocked, natur- 
ally, with fine fish. 



From 
"Prospect 
Hill," a 
noted spot 
in the Litch- 
field terri- 
tory, there 
is a magnifi- 
cent view, 
in all direc- 
tions, of the 
beautiful 
Litchfield 
country. 
The drives 
from the 
village to 
Bantam 
Lake and to 
"Mount 
Tom." and 
to the vil- 
1 a g e of 
Morris, 
with its 
quaint o 1 d 
inn and 
homesteads, 
are pecu- 
liarly attractive. From Mount Tom, on 
a clear day, the Catskill Mountains may 
be seen. 

The first "Young Ladies' Seminary" 
in the country was established in Litch- 
field. Lyman Beecher, of whom it has 
been said that he was the father of more brains 
than any other man in America, was pastor of a 
church here from 18 10 to 1826, and here Henry 
Ward Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe (the author 
of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), and others of his chil- 
dren were born. 

The farmers in this section receive boarders 
throughout the season ; indeed, in many places the 
summer clientage exceeds the resident population. 



LITCHFIELD STREETS ABE LINED 
WITH ANCIENT ELMs" 




VILLAGE GREEN 



New Preston 

Passing through 
the pretty sections 
of Morris and 
Romford, we 
come to New 
Preston, o n e o f 
the principal 
localities of the 
Shepaug Valley, 
from the summer- 
i n g standpoint. 
The attractions 
of this section are 
not in evidence 
from the railroad 
station, as the village is situated about three miles 
away, and near the (locally) famous Lake Wara- 
maug, a watersheet that divides with Bantam Lake 
the honor of being a principal natural attraction of 
the State. 

Lake Waramaug is situated among green, wooded 
hills, is reached by delightful drives from many 
directions, and its shores are peopled in the summer 
time by an excellent constituency, largely from New 
York City, but includ- 
ing many people from 
other places who can 
appreciate the perfect 
natural conditions of 
this locality. New Pres- 
ton is, indeed, one of 
the favored settlements 
of the State — of New 
England, in fact. 

Washington 

Next southward from 
New Preston is Wash- 
ington, the principal 
town in the Shepaug 
Valley and upon the 
branch between the 
terminals. Here, again. 




"WASHINGTON IS THE PRINCIPAL TOWN 
IN THE SHEPAUG VALLEY" 




THE SHEPAUG RIVER, AS IT COURSES THROUGH WASHINGTON 



New Yorkers 
have found con- 
genial summer 
homes, and the 
summer popula- 
tion IS largely 
made up of resi- 
dents of the me- 
tropolis. 

The scenery 
about Washing- 
ton is superbly 
fine, and the 
health-giving and 
recreative condi- 
tions are of the 
best. Indeed, the 
whole Shepaug Valley is a natural "sanitarium," 
building up all who have even the slightest of 
stamina and vigor remaining to enlarge upon. The 
walks and drives throughout the township in every 
direction are attractive, and much attention is given 
to the pursuit of golf and kindred sports. Roxbury, 
so far as natural advantages and conditions are con- 
cerned, only repeats the features belonging to the 
localities already described. Roxbury has a quarry 

of fine building stone — 
"The Mine Hill Stone 
Quarry" — a granite of 
excellent quality and 
much used. Here, too, 
the water power was 
utilized a hundred 
years ago, although in 
other sections of the 
valley it has, as at the 
present. time, always 
been neglected. At 
Roxbury Falls, as the 
name indicates, the 
river takes a fine 
tumble, making a 
pretty and exceedingly 
attractive feature in the 
scenery. 




NEW MILFORD GREEN 



THREE miles north of Bethel, the line passes 
through Danbury, affording that center the 
benefits of its transportation facilities, and 
largely contributing to place it in full communica- 
tion with the outside world. 

Proceeding northward from Danburj' a few miles, 
Brookfield Junction is reached, where interchange of 
passengers is made with trains to and from New 
Haven and Bridgeport. 

At Brookfield Junction, hills, high and steep, 
characterize the landscape ; and this condition con- 
tinues northward past the Brookfield station and 
that of Lanesville and Still River, quiet, rural neigh- 
borhoods, beautiful in their ruggedness, and abound- 
ing in the qualities that distinguish New England 
summer resorts. 

From Brookfield Junction to Brookfield and 
Lanesville the route runs between the Housatonic 
and Danbury or Still Rivers, the first named on the 
east, the latter on the west, of the railroad. At 
Lanesville the road crosses the Housatonic River and 
the far-famed Housatonic Valley is fairly entered 
upon, not to be quitted again until the journey 
through Berkshire has been accomplished. 

The crossing of the Housatonic River at Lanes- 



ville is not far above one of its 
famous waterfalls, that of the 
"Lover's Leap," the "Leap" being 
a point in the midst of a wild 
gorge, through which the river 
rushes, usually in a foaming, mad- 
dened torrent. 

New Milford 

Passing again northward from 
Lanesville and Still River, the 
largest town of the whole section 
is soon reached — New Milford. 
Here is a very attractive and thriv- 
ing community, the enterprise of 
which has created a center of trade 
for a lai-ge district surrounding. 
New Milford is, in fact, the larg- 
est, most enterprising, and progres- 
sive town on the Berkshire Hills 
Route between Danbury and Great Barrington. It 
is beautifully situated upon sloping hillsides, and its 
natural surroundings — the river, the mountains, and 
the pleasant valleys — render it one of the most 
desirable situations for summer residents. 




WEST CORNWALL 



Above New Milford, toward the 
Cornwall district, the hill and 
mountain ranges recede from the 
river on either side, and the river 
bottoms broaden into most delight- 
ful intervale and meadow lands, 
possessing all the charms which 
this formation of territory is sure 
to have within the temperate lati- 
tudes of the Northeastern States. 
The most delightful driveways into 
the surrounding neighborhoods 
center in this town; and while its 
community life presents all that is 
most desirable in the abodes of 
wealth and culture, and in the 
institutions and establishments of 
thrift and progress, it is within easy 
reach of the most beautiful natural 
environments, which are well 
worth even the longest and most 
toilsome journey to enjoy. Yet the 
place is but typical, so far as its natural advantages 
and attractions are concerned, of many that exist 
along this favored route. 

Kent 

Beyond New Milford lies Kent, having "all the 
dignity of an eminently respectable New England 




EVERY NOW AND THEN A GLIMPSE OF A LOVELY LAKE 



viliage," besides a great deal of scenic beauty and 
fine natural situations that are not always found in 
connection with "dignified" and "eminently respect- 
able" towns, even in New England. About Kent 
the river narrows again, and mountains with steep 
sides form narrow and deep-lying gorges, through 
which the river winds (and with it the railroad), 
among scenes changing with every mile, and as 




THE- DRIVES IN THE LITCHFIELD COUNTRY WIND O ER HILL AND DALE 



varied as can be found in any part 
of the country. 

These conditions continue for 
many miles ; the scenery always 
wild and picturesque ; the river 
always flowing noisily and rapidly. 
An immense reservoir at the falls, 
near "Bull's Bridge" — the pioneer 
waterfall of the Lover's Leap 
series — 
has re- 
c e n 1 1 y 
been 
con- 
strue- 
ted, pro- 
V i d i ng 
power 
for the 
genera- 
tion o f 
elec- 
tricity 
for city 

lighting and a number of electricity 
trolley routes, and indicating in a 
way the vast, but as yet only par- 
tially developed resources of this 
section. 

The Cornwall Villages 

Onward through the Cornwall 
Villages — Cornwall Bridge and 
West Cornwall — the traveler pro- 
ceeds. The water in the river is 
often shallow and hurried, but the 
grandeur of the scenery is enhanced 
mile. The villages hereabouts are 
secluded — hamlets, perhaps, they 
appropriately be called — their chief characteristics 
being perfect quiet and beauty of situation. Corn- 
wall is the gateway of a wild and picturesque region. 
It is traversed by the Cornwall range, a mountain 
chain fitly supplementing the grandeur of the Berk- 
shire Mountains. 




CANAAN FALLS, FALLS VILLAGE 



with every 

exceedingly 

might more 



From these eminences j'ou have superb outlooks, 
including views of Long Island Sound. 

Curiously tumbled about, rocky, and broken, are 
these Cornwall neighborhoods; and they possess a 
charm all their own for the true lover of nature. 

Near the station, one of the noblest elevations of 
the region — an offshoot of the Canaan range — a 
toppling headland of rock masses and forest growth, 
stands like a bafrier 'naturally placed to Tnake'impos- 




CULU.N'IAL KLSIUbiNCl:: AT .NURIOLK 



sible further progress westward. The scenery here 
is of the wildest and grandest — a mountain range, 
ragged and rugged, receding from the river on the 
west, while more rounded and swelling elevations, 
covered with forest growths, stretch away to the 
eastward. 

The Lime Rock village lies about a mile to the 
westward of the railroad station, and is reached by 
a beautiful driveway. The name "Lime Rock" is 
suggestive enough ; for all through this section ledges 
of the whitest limestone, seamed with lines of gray 
and black, show gleaming in the sunlight, or as white 
and gray patches among the shadows of the woods. 

Falls Village 

But the river, and incidentally its great adjunct, 
the railroad, easily finds a way of getting past the 
apparently impassable barrier described above, by 
winding around its base, and after passing for a 
few miles through the fascinating scenerjf of the 
section, comes suddenly to one of the most beautiful 
waterfalls imaginable — that at Falls Village. Here 
the Housatonic takes a series of tumbles, from a 



primeval rock dam 
extending almost 
across the river 
bed, as a beginning 
of the descent, 
thence over a suc- 
cession of natural 
terraces, alternat- 
ing at no great 
distance, rushing 
and foaming and 
boiling among 
thickly strewn 
boulders, through 
curiously worn 
channels, and over 
ledges and sunken 
crags, until it has 
fallen one hundred 
and thirty feet, and 
is torn to a million 
of whitened shreds. 
Below the Falls the waters are united again in more 
regular currents, leading through the gorges and 
along the narrowed bottoms of the Lime Rock 
section. 

The Falls not only form one of the most pic- 
turesque scenes in New England, but furnish, upon 
the most stupendous scale, waterpower for manu- 
facturing operations. 

Canaan 

Canaan, while in Connecticut, represents, as do 
the other towns in the upper tier of Litchfield 
County, distinctive Berkshire territory. It is a 
mountain-enclosed village, having Canaan Moun- 
tain, whose less commonly known name is Mt. 
Wangum,' stretching to the eastward, with its bold 
western front, a nearly perpendicular headland 
which rises abruptly from the valley where the river 
runs; and on the west a series of mountain peaks 
and groups, the line of which is the southernmost 
reach of the far-famed Taghconics, with the dome of 
Mt. Washington isolated and glistening in full view 
on the northwest, in old Massachusetts. 




NORFOLK STATION 

The view from Canaan 
Mountain commands the 
country to the south and 
west, spreading out in a 
veritable panorama, a trip 
to the summit well repay- 
ing the effort of ascent. 
At Pine Grove, two miles 
south of Canaan Village, 
lie the grounds of the 
Canaan Pine Grove Camp 
-Meeting Association, situated between the Housa- 
tonic River and the railroad, and presenting many 
attractive features. Within the Canaan territory 
will be observed, as characteristic of this valley route, 
the out-cropping of the marble veins which appear 
for many miles to the northward. At East Canaan, 
and at other points in this section, are large lime- 
kilns, where limestone, which is found with the 
marble deposits, is burned, making the fine commer- 
cial lime for which the region is famous. 

Norfolk 

At Canaan, connection is made with the Central 
New England Railway, extending east and west, 
and serving in either direction a favored section. To 
the east, through the beautiful Canaan Valley, the 
line follows closely the mountain side, reaching Nor- 
folk, which is the northernmost town of the Litch- 
field Hills, and enjoj's the distinction, in addition to 



its many rare advantages, of being the highest point 

in the State reached by a railroad, the elevation 

of the residential portion ranging from 1,200 to 

1,400 feet, while the railroad station is 1,236 

feet above tide-water. 

The settlement of Norfolk began when 
this township with several others in this 

locality, 
which 
were 
owned 
b y t h e 
Colony 
, of Con- 
necticut, 
was sold 
at public 
vendue, 
at Mid- 
dletown, 
in 1742. 
The 
o r i g i n al 
bent of 
the set- 
tlers was agriculture, which is more or less typical 
of the section to-day, Norfolk being renowned for 
its excellent dairies and products of like nature. 
Norfolk has always been recognized as a summering 
place, its elevation insuring cool, dry, bracing air. 

The public spirit and enterprise of its residents 
are noticeable to the visitor, and the results of thrift 
and progress are manifest on every hand. Norfolk is 
justly proud of her gj'mnasium, her chimes in the 
"Old Church Tower," her beautiful memorial 
chapel, and many other minor examples of the inter- 
est, nay reverence, vv-ith which she is held by her 
favored sons. 

The opportunities offered for automobiling and 
driving throughout this section are unrivaled, whije 
equally attractive and equally picturesque are the 
walks and even the mountain climbing of some 
of the more accessible locations, among which are 
"Haystack," "Canaan," and "Bald" Mountains, and 
Dutton Hill, each affording the pedestrian unsur- 




NOEFOLK FROM CRISSEY HILL 




THE HOUSATONIC AS IT PASSES 
UNDER MONUMENT MOUNTAIN 



passed scenic allure- 
ments of which the 
eye can never tire. 

Salisbury 

Westward from 
Canaan, the line of 
the Central New 
England Railway 
quickly passes into 
the township of Salis- 
bury, which covers a 
considerable area and 
occupies a command- 
ing position in the ex- 
treme northwest cor- 
ner of Connecticut, 
having within its bor- 
ders the villages of 
Lime Rock (pre- 
viously mentioned), Salisbury, Lakeville, Chapin- 
ville, and Twin Lakes. 

Nature has greatly favored this region, and has 
provided in her prodigality a considerable mineral 
wealth, though the mining of iron is all the under- 
taking of this nature now being carried on. The 
hematite ore, which is mined at Ore Hill in the 
western section of the town, has long been recog- 
nized as producing the toughest iron, and has made 
the section famous, the mines having been worked 
for upwards of 150 j'ears. As an illustration of the 
extent of this enterprise in years agone, it is chron- 
icled that in this township anchors were made 
weighing from one-half a ton to two tons, which 
were hauled by ox team to Boston and other sea- 
port cities, six yoke of oxen often being employed to 
haul an anchor, the round trip requiring a month to 
six weeks. 

The picturesque village of Salisbury, a long coun- 
try street, lies in a narrow valley, hemmed in on the 
east by Mt. Watawanchee, which is distinct from 
the Taghonics, the highest point being Mt. Prospect, 
about two miles from Salisbury, accessible by a car- 
riage road. Many other elevations and points of 



interest claim the attention of the tourist throughout 
this section. 

Among its public buildings is the Scoville Library, 
a gift to the town from one of its citizens, whose 
name it bears. In the librarjr, over the fireplace, is 
set a carved bas-relief stone taken from the Cathe- 
dral at Salisbury, England. 

Salisbury's strongest feature, withal, is its water 
bodies, the principal being "Washining" and 
"Washinee," the "Twin Lakes of the Woods," 
which lie in the eastern part of the town and fur- 
nish an extremely desirable and convenient resort 
for cottages and camps generally. The fishing is 
usually very good,. 

Lakeville 

Lakeville is the largest^ of the five villages pre- 
viously referred to in the Salisbury section, and lies 
on and adjacent to the northern shore of Lake 
Wononscopomuc, which appellation in the Indian 
tongue signifies the "Smile of God." The lake 
covers about 350 acres, and from its southern shore 
rises Town Hill, which the early settlers in 1740 
proposed making the site of their town, but this 
idea was afterwards changed. This site is now occu- 
pied by the prominent buildings of the famous 
Hotchkiss School, a college preparatory school for 
boys, founded in 1891 through the benefaction of 
the lady whose name it bears. 

The walks and drives are of exceptional attrac- 




LIJiKAKV, AND MAIN STREET, NORFOLK 




river farther north and south. Hereabouts there 
are long reaches, at intervals, of valley and meadow 
land, stretching away from the river banks on 
either side, or sloping gently backward into most 
beautiful hamlet and farming sites, or picturesque 
plateaus, bordered by hills and fine tree growth. 

As previously chronicled in these pages, the 
Housatonic in Berkshire is a sinuous stream, often 
turning abruptly within a mile or two of distance 
to almost every point of the compass. In the Shef- 



SCOVILLE LIBRARY, SALISBURY 

tiveness, one of the most frequented 
being around Lake Wononscopo- 
muc, a distance of three and one- 
half miles. In the southern portion 
of the town is Lake Wononpakok, 
presenting many pleasing features, 
embraced as it is by field and wood- 
land. Sage's Ravine, which is more 
fully described under the head of 
Sheffield, is a picturesque region, 
affording a delightful drive ; while 
a day's trip to Bear Mountain, 
with its elevation of 2,350 feet, 
the highest point of land in Con- 
necticut, is a pleasing diversion replete with scenic 
interest. 

The arbitrary line that defines the boundaries of 
the States of Connecticut on the south and Mas- 
sachusetts on the north also separates the territory 
of Canaan, in the first-named commonwealth, from 
Sheffield in the Old Bay State. 

Sheffield 

Sheffield was the earliest incorporated town in the 
Berkshire country, its territory having been pur- 
chased in 1724 from Konkepot and his associate 
Indians for £460 sterling, three barrels of cider, and 
thirty quarts of rum. The Indians call the place 
"Housatonnuc," or "Over the Mountains." 

The Housatonic River in this part of its course 
differs considerably in appearance from the same 




MAIN STREET, SALISBURY 



field country, along the plains and upon the hillsides 
on either side of the river, are fine farming estab- 
lishments, very hospitable and attractive to summer 
visitors, and the most perfect havens of rest and 
recreation. 

In the southern part of Sheffield territory, not 
far from the State line, is the village of Ashley 
Falls ; and here the Konkepot River comes down 
from the hills and mingles its waters with those of 
the Housatonic, with considerable fussing and 
fuming in the operation. The railroad has a sta- 
tion near the junction of these rivers. 

The scenery in ever)' part of Sheffield is grand ; 
picturesque hills and mountains characterizing the 
eastern and western sections, while the river valley, 
occupying the central districts, is exceedingly beau- 
tiful. On the western border, Mount Everett 
("The Dome") rises to the height of 2,624 feet, 





"S3*: 




THE 
AND 

hil; 



THE HOUSATONTC AT STOCKBRTDGE 




ORE 
ELD 
ION 



,-.^ y^^ 'Z) *>' 







TAVP \vnvnvt;mpn\f irr iaitpvittf 



and in its neighborhood are many other mountains 
of nearly equal height; while in the east and north- 
east the land is guarded by sentinel mountains of 
magnificent proportions and altitudes. 

There are many other natural objects of interest 
in the township besides its mountains and the Hou- 
satonic River. The lesser streams are curiously 
attractive, and so are the many ponds, of which 
"Three-Mile Lake," with an area of about one hun- 
dred and five acres, is the largest. In many parts 
of the town there are soda springs. 

No community in New England is more comfort- 
ably and pleasantly "housed" than Sheffield; the 
village, besides possessing the restful, quiet, and 
satisfying qualities common to all the Berkshire set- 
tlements, has many especial characteristics of rare 
beauty. Finely shaded streets are found in the 
towns of this region, but the main street of Sheffield 
is exceptional. It has four rows of elms and 
maples for its entire length, each one a treasure in 
itself, and the whole group an invaluable possession. 
The Sheffield trees are now over half a century old, 
and their beauty will enhance the passage of every 




ON YON BONNIE BANKS, ON YON BONNIE BRAE 



season for years to come. About- a mile south from 
the center of the village is a tree known as the "Big 
Elm," a famous specimen of its kind, which has 
attracted much attention, and which the author of 
"The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table" refers to 
appropriately in that work. 

The walks and drives about Sheffield are unex- 
celled and from the main -village as a center many 
pleasing excursions may be made. The views of the 
Housatonic River and Valley afforded within this 
township are the finest of that river to be found 
an5'where. 

Sage's Ravine, situated between Race and Bear 
Mountains, lying in the southwest corner of Shef- 
field, and partially in Salisbury near Mount Wash- 
ington, is reached by the under-mountain road, an 
especially beautiful drive. The situation here is 
wild in the extreme, the water descending several 
hundred feet within a short distance. 

Great Barrington 

Northward again, and the scene shifts from the 

territory of Sheffield 
to that of Great Bar- 
rington. Within the 
Barrington limits, the 
Housatonic again pre- 
sents its wonderful 
crooks and turnings to 
a degree that could 
hardly be believed 
without witnessing. 

Great Barrington 
is one of the most 
attractive towns in 
Berkshire — in all 
New England, in' fact. 
It is a home of thrift 
and industry, a com- 
munity abreast of the 
progress and culture 
of the age. Its streets 
are shaded with a 
beautiful growth of 
trees; and it holds a 



wealth of historic, traditional, and personal associa- 
tions that would render it a point of great interest 
had it no natural attractions whatever. 

Elevated far above the sea-level, of the best sani- 
tary and healthful conditions, possessing not only 
great fascination but the most bountiful provision 
for summer sojourners, it is small wonder that the 
locality is a favorite resort of a great constituency 
from all parts of the country. Its summer homes 
are not only within the town and village limits, but 
are scattered all through the farming districts. For 
its walks, drives, fishing, hunting and boating it 
has few equals in this part of the world. 

In the north. Monument Mountain, celebrated 
by William Cullen Bryant, rises in a most striking 
way from the bank of the Housatonic River, while 
Bear Mountain extends for considerable distance, 
overlooking the town itself, a sort of natural guard- 
ian set to shield its inhabitants. The town also has 
fine ponds and lakelets scattered in profusion within 
its limits, and these are charming features in the 
landscape. 

Great Barrington, formerly a part of Sheffield, 
was incorporated and 
made independent un- 
der its present name 
in 1761, being one of 
the earliest Berkshire 
sections which im- 
pressed the pioneers 
of the region, by rea- 
son of the phenomenal 
beauty of its location. 
Its soil is fertile and 
produces abundant 
crops. 

The place has been 
a summer resort of 
high repute for many 
decades. Here Mark 
Hopkins met, in the 
famous school for 
young ladies kept by 
the Misses Kellogg, 
the young lady who 
afterwards became his 



wife and widow, and who, as Mrs. Edward F. 
Searles, resided later upon an estate in this town, the 
dwelling of which cost upwards of one million dol- 
lars, and from which she dispensed benefactions that 
have made her name and the place well known in 
every part of the country. But such an estate and 
so broad and liberal minded a type of humanity are 
not in the least out of place in this beautiful section 
of Berkshire, where all that wealth, art, and culture 
can devise can by no possibility exceed the natural 
endowments of the locality. 

The list of summer and permanent residents of 
Great Barrington, for a century past, contains many 
names of people well known in the United States — 
of a very large number, in fact, who are recognized 
as world famous, and who represent many of the 
highest walks of life. 

The poet, William Cullen Bryant, had a residence 
in this town from 1815 to 1825, and within its 
beautiful scenes he found inspiration for some of 
his noblest poems. Mr. Brj'ant was town clerk 
here for several years, and parts of the town records 
are signed with his autographs. He married Frances 





y 



THE SIDE OF LAKE TOM'S HILL 





STRLET IN LAKEVILLE 



Fairchild of this town, and he himself 
made record of the event; and also 
recorded the birth of his first child. 
The old Henderson House in 
which he was married still stands 
opposite Kellogg Terrace. It was 
used in Revolutionary times as a 
storehouse for war supplies; and 
General Burgoyne occupied it for a 
time, having been taken ill on his 
way to Boston and carried there. The 
house was built in 1759. 

In illustration of the quality of the 
institutions and private establishments 
of this town, the Congregational 
Church building, standing in the main 
village, may be instanced. This is one 
of the most notable churches in the 
country, and is a center of attraction for all visitors. 
It is a stone structure, the material being blue dolo- 
mite, and all its components are of the best quality 
procurable. The chancel and pulpit are of solid 
mahogany, a gift from a friend in Pittsfield, and the 
solid mahogany furniture was the gift from friends 
in New York. Beautiful art glass windows, fine 
carving, and magnificent decorations in colors charac- 
terize its interior. 

This church has one of the remarkable organs of 
the country, a Roosevelt instrument, costing upwards 
of $30,000, which in mechanical construction has 




hardly an equal in Europe or America. Be- 
hind the wall at the opposite end of the 
church is an echo organ, operated by over 
two and one-half miles of electric wires. 
The parsonage, with its furniture and 
barn, cost $100,000, 
and this is the gift 
of Mrs. Searles, in 
memory of her first 
husband's great- 
grandfather, the 
Rev. Dr. Samuel 
Hopkins, who was 
pastor of this church 
from 1743 to 1770. 
Dr. Hopkins, by the 
way, was a fair type 
of the representative 
quality of the society 
that has always dis- 
tinguished Great 
Barrington. 

There is an excel- 
lent nine-hole golf 
course at Great Bar- 
rington, the prop- 
erty of the Wyente- 
nuck Golf Club, 
laid out along the 
banks of the Housa- 
tonic. While not re- 
markable for its haz- 



SAGE S RAVINE 




THE LOVELINESS OF THIS HILL COUNTRY HAS OFTEN BEEN 
DESCRIBED BY FAMOUS PENS" 




GREAT BARRINGTON HAS MANY BEAUTIFUL HOMES 



ards, it is exceptionally smooth and well-turfed. 
The privileges of the club are extended to visitors 
upon payment of the usual fee. 

The town spends annually a large sum of money 
in the construction and maintenance of roads and 
highways, and the interesting drives within its terri- 




TT OF LAKE WARAMAUG SHORE 



tory and the neighborhood may be numbered by 
scores. While this feature is characteristic of all 
the Berkshire sections, it receives a very large de- 
velopment in this locality. Great Harrington serves 
as the distributing center for a large outlying terri- 
tory, which includes Monterey, New Marlboro, 
North Egremont and South Egremont, each having 
the clientage which the region well deserves. The 
country about Monterey, particularly around Lake 
Garfield, is atractive in the extreme, its advantages 
being attested by the large number of cottages, 
typical of its summer population. These cottages 
nearly surround the shores of the lake, which, for- 
the most part, are wooded to the water's edge. 

A good highway leads from Great Barrington, 
''all the way uphill," to New Marlboro, one of 
the south towns of the countrj', which has within 
its limits the settlements of Hartsville, on Lake 
Buel, Mill River, Southfield, and Clayton, the two 




MONUMENT MOUNTAIN AND THE HOUSATONIC RIVER, GREAT HARRINGTON, MASS. 



latter being in the extreme southern portion and 
reached more conveniently, perhaps, from Sheffield 
or Ashley Falls. The surface of the township is 
an exemplification of the Berkshire characteristics 
of mountain and vale, having a peaceful, quiet val- 
ley, peculiarly its own, through which the Konkepot 
River (the outlet of Lake Garfield, in Monterey, 
and Lake Buel) flows, and is thus at once dis- 
tinguished from the valley of the Housatonic, so 
inseparably linked with all the other Berkshire 
localities. Though the town is strictly a farming 
community, its altitude commends it to the summer 
visitor. 

CONTINUING northward after leaving 
Great Barrington, the territory of Stock- 
bridge is entered upon, the railroad, however, 
having stations at Van Deusenville 
and Housatonic, villages in Great 
Barrington, before the town bound- 
ary is passed. 

Stockbridge 

The Indian name of the town 
now called Stockbridge was Hou- 
satonic, the present town having 
been incorporated in i739- The 
township was granted to the Hou- 



satonic Indians, afterwards 
called the Stockbridge In- 
dians, in 1734, at which time 
a mission was begun among 
them by the Rev. John Sar- 
gent and an assistant. Mr. 
Sargent was succeeded by the 
famous Jonathan Edwards, 
who began his labors here in 
1 75 1, and continued until 
1758, when he left to become 
President of Princeton Col- 
lege. 

After the beginning of the 
mission by Rev. Mr. Ed- 
wards, and his assistant, who 
were the earliest white residents, the place was 
settled by English people, who crossed the Atlantic 
for that purpose, and who, from time to time, bought 
out the Indian rights. The site of the mission 
church of those days is now marked by a stone 
tower, a prominent object of interest in Stockbridge, 
which contains a clock and a chime of bells. 

The territory of Stockbridge withal is not exten- 
sive, the whole place containing only about 13,600 
acres, of which more than one-fourth is of forest 
growth. But what it lacks in extent is more than 
compensated for by its historic and personal associa- 
tions and its scenic attractions. 

The Housatonic River flows through its southern 
sections, having as tributaries several minor streams, 
which, while they' increase the volume of its-flow, 
also aid largely in beautifying the landscape. Within 




PARK-LIKE SURROUNDINGS OF THE STOCKBRIDGE STATION 










A STATELY MANSION ON THE SITE OF THE JONATHAN EDWARDS HOUSE, 
STOCKERIDGE 

the limits of the town mountainous elevations do not 
exist to the extent which thej' are found in many of its 
neighbors, but the surroundings and outlooks supply all 
that is lacking in this direction, and in every other part of 
the township, hills, individually and in groups, strongly 
mark the scenery, and give to the place the peculiarly 
varied formation which lends so great a charm to the 
Berkshire localities. 

Besides the rivers and brooks, there are some hand- 
some watersheets within its limits. Lake Mahkeenac 
(Stockbridge Bowl), with an area of 250 acres, being 
the finest. 

The village of Stockbridge is a beautiful, quiet, and 
representative New England town, a type, at least, of 



HOLMES ELM, SHEFillil-iJ 



many that exist in every part of the Old Bay State. Its principal 
street is exceedingly broad and inviting, well kept, and bordered 
by beautiful grass plats and embankments, vv'ith rows of the 
magnificent elms and other varieties of shade trees, that have 
before been alluded to, as a distinguishing feature of Berk- 
shire villages. These shade trees are found also on every 
side street and frequently as fine natural adornments and 
ornamental attributes to the grounds about the buildings ; 
and their beauty and utility in summer time can hardly 
be exaggerated. 

At Stockbridge is the.largest and best-known golf links 
in the Berkshires, a fine i8-hole course, owned by the 
Stockbridge Golf Club. The course stretches over excel- 
lent hill country ; it is well turfed and is rich in exciting 
natural hazards. The greens are exceptionally smooth. 

Nothing in nature can be more beautiful than the sur- 



THE OLD MAN OF 

THE MOUNTAINS 

MONUMENT 




MAIN STHEli' 



TOCKBRIDGE, A THOROUGHFARE DESERVING A MORE POETIC NAMB 




MONUMENT IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN 
BURIAL-GROUND, STOCKBRIDGE 

roundings of Stockbridge. Indeed, 
it is difficult to convey by written 
description any adequate idea of its 
natural fascinations ; and these are 
fairly supplemented by the historic 
and personal associations that clus- 
ter about it. 

From the time of its incorpora- 
tion, Stockbridge has never been 
without associations with some dis- 
tinguished residents, while its list 
of visitors comprises more of 
illustrious names, representative of 
the various parts of the civilized 
world, than could easily be set 
forth. It was here that the Rev. 
Jonathan Edwards wrote "The 
Freedom of the Will," a work 
which stirred New England society 
as it cannot be moved, perhaps, at 
the present time. A fine monument 
to his memory has been erected 
near the First Church. 

And here, afterwards — many 
vears afterwards — was born Miss 
Catharine M. Sedgwick, a pioneer 
writer of American fiction ; here, 



also, came, in course of time, William Cullen 
Br3'ant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Longfellow, Haw- 
thorne, Herman Melville, and countless other celeb- 
rities, whom the world has delighted to honor. The 
father of Miss Sedgwick was the first representa- 
tive in Congress from Berkshire County. 

Bryant was equally at home in every part of 
Berkshire. Other residents of Stockbridge were 
John Bacon, who was associate pastor of the Old 
South Church in Boston, at the breaking out of the 
Revolutionary War; Judge Horatio Byington ; Rev. 
David Dudley Field, pastor of the Congregational 
Church. He was the first historian of Berkshire, 
and the father of four brothers who made so large 
an impression upon the social, professional, business, 
and scientific life of the last half of the last century 
—David Dudley Fiehl, Cyrus W. Field, Henry M. 
Field, and Stephen H. Field. 




M ISSION CHURCH 



The social life, all through these years, of Stock- 
bridge and Lenox was interchangeable, so that it 
may be said that the distinguished residents of either 
of these places had equally a home in the other. 

Within the township are upwards of fifty miles of 
country roads, kept in the finest condition by care- 
ful attention and working, and over which riding 
is a most pleasing and satisfactory exercise. Between 
this point and Pittsfield the roadways are sure to be 
largely occupied in summer by the automobiles and 
turnouts of the wealthy residents and visitors of the 
section ; and the scenes everywhere are of the most 
animated description. 

In no section of its course is the Housatonic River 
more beautiful than within and about Stockbridge 
territory. Here it is a wide, gentle moving stream, 
curving in and out among the undulating and 
broken lands of the place in a most attractive and 
artistic manner, that can never fail to appeal strongly 
to human sensibilities and appreciation. The cele- 
brated "Ox Bow" is an excellent example of this. 

Lee 

The Housatonic River and the New York, New 
Haven & Hartford Railroad, in connecting the 
towns of Stockbridge and Lenox, pass through a 
goodly portion of the town of Lee, which is the 
market town for a large section, and serves as the 
point of outlet for West Becket, Otis, Tyringham, 
and contiguous territory, the towns in question repre- 
senting some of the most attractive localities in the 
Berkshires. The western section of Lee has the 
same characteristics as Lenox and Stockbridge; in 
fact, in its natural and artificial endowments there 
is no line of demarcation.. 





LENOX PROVIDES LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS FOR VISITORS 



In the Otis section, which is reached by a first- 
class highway, at a distance of about twelve miles, 
will be found much of interest. The town contains 
the Otis Reservoir, so called, to a certain extent 
artificial, and covering 1,450 acres, established as a 
supply for the water privileges along the Farming- 
ton River, and particularly at New Hartford, 
Conn. All through the valley of the Farmington are 
privileges, some long disused by reason of lack of 
transportation facilities, but none the less pictur- 
esque. The highway closely follows this river south- 
ward from Otis, rendering a drive towards New 
Boston extremely attractive. 

Tyringham is a veritable "peaceful valley," sur- 
rounded by towering hills, the approach to which, 
over the mountain from Monterey, is a picture 
never to be forgotten. At "Fernside" dwelt a com- 
munity of Shakers, where they owned nearly 2,000 
acres — a fertile section; but they removed long ago 
to the Shaker settlement at Lebanon, though the 
buildings remain as an evidence of their thrift. 

Lee is on the line of the turnpike between 
Albany and Boston which ran through East Lee, 
West Becket, Becket, etc., and some of the old 
taverns, long disused for their original purpose, are 
still standing as a reminder of the "Stage Coach 
Days." 

A trip to Becket Mountain, reached via East 
Lee by turning off at an old post road tavern and 
following the highway which runs to the left over 
the mountain towards Washington, is delightful. 




"LENOX IS FAMOUS FUR THF. SINGULAR BEAUTV OF ITS LANDSCAPES" 



Leaving the road as the crest of the mountain ap- 
pears in full view, the rest of the journey is across 
fields and through woods, following a disused cart 
path and thence up the mountain side, the journey 
bringing into play considerable muscular activity. 
As is the case with mountains in these parts, Becket 
Mountain is of gentle acclivity, being, though 
2,300 feet high, covered by a wealth of grass to its 
summit. 



"•^^^gp^Bfl^^^^^^^^B 


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vV^f^i^^^HWMEaJn 


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JRw - 


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Ban 


B 'vj^jj* 


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THE POST OFFICE AND SOLDIERS MONUMENT, LENOX 



The view is unobstructed and presents a picture 
ever varying with lights and shadows — a picturesque 
vision of rare loveliness devoid of the sterner phases 
of mountain scenery. 

Among Lee's most charming features are her 
lakes, or, as they are generally termed, with a less 
dignified but none the less befitting appellation, 
"ponds," in all of which good fishing may be en- 
joyed. These ponds afford ideal locations for camp- 
ing. On some of the "ponds" commodious club 
houses have been erected for the better enjoyment 
of those who desire to combine sociability with the 
narration of their piscatorial adventures. To fish 
in these waters permits should be obtained from club 
members. 

THUS following northward the course of the 
Housatonic River, we have reached the heart 
of the Berkshire region ; and tliis central 
locality, this superbly fascinating bit of territory, 
is occupied by the town of Lenox, known far and 
wide as one of the famous summer resorts of the 
world. 



Lenox 

Here, as elsewhere in the State, the Berkshire 
Hills are found not far from the boundary line of 
Massachusetts and New York, only the little town 
of Richmond intervening in Massachusetts between 
Lenox and that dividing line. Through the entire 
eastern part of the Lenox territory runs the Housa- 
tonic River with various tributary streams, such as 
Yokun Brook and 
Roaring Brook, 
coming down 
from the moun- 
t a i n ranges to 
swell the volume 
of its waters. 

Along the 
whole western 
and southwestern 
line of the town 
stretches the 
Taghonic Range, 
with Lenox 
Mountain as a 
central figure, 
and at its base the 
wild and weird 





BROAD STREETS OVERARCHED WITH ELMS 




A COUNTRY PLACE IN THE BERKSHIRES 

gorge known as "The Gulf." If the white marble 
outcroppings, common in the other Berkshire locali- 
ties through which we have passed, largely dis- 
appear from the Lenox territory, their place is sup- 
plied by a great increase of limestone deposits, which 
are here quarried for building purposes and for kiln 
burning. There is considerable farming in the place, 



THE \\IIITE SPIRE OF 
THE VILLAGE CHURCH 

the soil in the 
valley and along 
the lower h i II - 
sides being very 
rich. A little 
more than one- 
quarter of the 
whole territory is 
occupied by mag- 
nificent forest 
growths, which 
have yielded large 
revenues of tim- 
ber in the past 
and are still valuable in that connection, 
their principal worth, however, long since 
having become fixed as beautifying elements 
in the scenery of the place. Originally this 
town was a part of Richmond, from which 
it was taken in 1767, and incorporated 
under its present name in 1775, or at the 
outbreak of the War of the Revolution. 
The Indians called this locality "Yokun," 
that being the name of one of their Sachems 
who lived here. Jonathan Hinsdale, whose 
name is perpetuated in a Berkshire town 
farther east, was the first white settler here 
(.1750). 

Lenox became the county seat for Berk- 
shire although it has not for many years now had 
that distinction ; and for that reason, as well as for 
its unrivaled natural attractions, it has been a 
locality associated with the residence of celebrated 
persons, and/ for a considerable period a literary 
center also. 

Here dwelt Elizabeth Sedgwick, and from 1850 




"evidences of wealth, culture and refinement on every hand 



to 1870, Fannjf Kemble, in a house built for her and 
named "The Porch," which residence became the 
rendezvous for the literary and other celebrities of 
all Berkshire. 

William Cullen Brj'ant had his permanent home 
at Great Harrington, and Dr. Oliver Wendell 
Holmes his summer home at Pittsfield. Longfellow 
and G. P. R. James passed their summers in Stock- 
bridge. Henry Ward Beecher and Herman Mel- 
ville passed many summers and produced many of 
their best compositions in the Lenox neighborhoods. 
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his "Scarlet Letter," 
"The House of Seven Gables," "Tanglewood 
Tales," and "The Wonder Book" in a little red 
house on the shore of "Stockbridge Bowl," within 
the borders of Lenox; and here he planned his 
"Blithedale Romance." James Russell Lowell and 
Dr. Channing were well known throughout this 
section. Here, also, Charlotte Cushman, Harriet 
Hosmer, Maria Cummings, and others like them 
were educated in Mrs. Sedgwick's celebrated school. 
And so the list of famous and exalted names which 
have been associated with Berkshire is something 
very interesting to contemplate. 

The summer home of Henry Ward Beecher in 
Lenox was a farm occupying a hill on the high- 
way leading from Lenox to Lee. This estate \yas 
presented to the great preacher by friends in his 



Brooklyn Church in 1853, and was 
known as "Blossom Farm." To 
this farm Mr. Beecher came in the 
summer time for many years. Here 
he wrote his "Star Papers"; but 
this estate need not be thought of 
as in any sense a workship of his, 
for here he threw off toil and care 
and every form of trouble and 
anxiety, and gave himself exclu- 
sively to recuperation and recrea- 
tion, such as are to be found alone 
in communion with Nature. 




ST. ANDREWS' CHURCH, KENT, BUILT IN 1826 

There are several private golf links in the vicinity 
of Lenox. The Lenox Golf Club maintains a small 
course, but its privileges are not granted to visitors. 

Intrinsically, and aside from its connection with 
wealth and culture, and the associations referred to 
herein, the glory of Lenox lies in the grandeur of 
its natural situation, the wonderful picturesqueness 
of its scenery, and the singular beauty of its land- 
scapes, whether viewed in detail or ensemble. 



iUN 11 1912 




GREYLOCK MOUNTAIN 



The carriage drive from this station to the sum- 
mit of this hill is over a macadam road, gently rising 
all the way, beautiful as a revelation of rural scenes, 
but affording not even the slightest hint of the grand 
visions of loveliness v^'hich await the arrival of the 
visitor upon the crown of the hills. 

The surroundings of woods and flowery thickets, 
unrelieved by a dwelling of any kind, continue from 
end to end of this road, until the carriage emerges 
abruptly upon the edge of an elevated plain, and the 
visitor finds himself at once among the evidences of 
something more than a thriving, progressive New 
England communitj^ There is now a quality in all 
tbat he sees about him that shows the presence of 
wealth, culture, and refinement in the resident popu- 
lation. 

This section of the Berkshire Hills, unlike most 
resort sections, has a seven months' season. These 
months are divided into three periods of social enter- 
taining and out-of-door enjoyment. The first period 
is the spring season, when a large percentage of the 
villas are opened and preparations are made for the 
full swing of the season to come. 



Owners of estates are arriving in the Berkshire 
Hills earlier every year. Reports of the delights in 
the hills in the early spring months have spread, 
and May sees more than half of the cottagers in their 
country places. Then budding June brings on the 
summer folks, and by the end of June all the cot- 
tages are leased or occupied. This constitutes the 
early season, when there is a round of exclusive little 
dinner entertainments. It is a time when those who 
have been going into the Berkshires for a consider- 
able period enjoy the country life. 

Then comes the "mid-season," late July and Au- 
gust, when quiet reigns in the Berkshire villas. 
Their owners, one after another, find they need a 
change of scene and a whiff of sea air, and depart 
for a few weeks with their friends to the rugged 
Maine coast, Bar Harbor, Newport or Cape Cod. 
Then from September well into November, Lee, 
Lenox, Stockbridge and Pittsfield are at their best. 
Back to their country estates come the villa owners, 
and following in their wake are numberless tourists. 
There are house parties at the country places and 
week-end parties at the hotels, for the week-end idea 



of a hotel sojourn in the Berkshires is one of the 
new phases of social life. 

Men and women of wealth and fashion go to 
Lenox in the autumn, for the wonderful autumn 
colorings of the maples, oaks and birches, while 
seekers after beauty in nature fill the hotels through- 
out the belt from Pittsfield to Stockbridge. 

Pittsfield 

From Lenox to Pittsfield by direct road is about 
a six-mile drive, and the distance between these two 
points by railroad is nearly the same. 

There are beautiful drives from Lenox to Pitts- 
field, which are sure to afford abundance of interest 
and entertainment for the visitor. Indeed here, as in 
most of the Berkshire sec- 
tions, one may make pedes- 
trian or driving excursions 
for weeks in succession, 
taking a new route or 
routes every day, and 
never exhaust either the 
novelties or the attrac- 
tions. 

Pittsfield is the northern 
terminus of the N e w 
York, New Haven & 
Hartford Railroad. It is 
one of the thriving, pro- 
gressive towns of Massachusetts. It occupies a site 
naturally favored and beautified to a degree next to 
impossible outside the Berkshire region. • Its build- 
ings are in keeping with its wealth and progress; 
its streets are wide and attractive, with fine old 
elms overarching the roadwa3-s. 

Pittsfield is the county seat of Berkshire County, 
the center of its judicial business and material inter- 
ests. It is situated upwards of 1,200 feet above the 
level of the sea, and is completely surrounded by 
lofty mountain ranges and groups (the Taghonics 
and the Hoosacs). Its hotels offer every comfort 
and luxur}' to the visitor. It also has good golfing 
facilities. Its scenery' is magnificent in ever>- part 
and in the qualities of combined city and countPi- 
life it cannot be surpassed. Just beyond Pittsfield 
lie the two largest lakes in Berkshire, Onoto and 
Pontoosuc. The shores of these lakes are surrounded 
■ by many camps and bungalows. The principal ave- 
nue of Pittsfield runs from Pontoosuc Lake in nearly 
a straight line to Lenox-on-the-Heights, about six 




TRULY RURAL 



miles away, and is a broad, picturesquely shaded 
highway. 

From Pittsfield steam and electric lines cross the 
Berkshires northward to North Adams and Wil- 
liamstown, Mass., and an electric line thence to 
Bennington, Vt. Leaving Pittsfield the route runs 
along the east shore of Lake Pontoosuc. The topog- 
raphy of the hills has fixed the lines of travel. 

The scenery is pleasingly diversified. River and 
hill make constant variety. The towns, alternating 
with rough country, keep you in touch with civiliza- 
tion and at the same time you are in the heart of the 
primeval wilderness. Special trips in parlor-cars on 
the electric lines are one of the features of the service 
much appreciated by summer tourists. 

On the way j'ou come 
j^^^^ to North Adams. From 

4^^H| here you may make the 

T^^^ ascent of Greylock Moun- 

tain. Many persons start 
in the afternoon and camp 
out on the mountain all 
night in order to get a 
sunrise view from the 
summit. A sweep of fully 
a hundred miles of lovely 
country", embracing parts 
of five States is spread be- 
for you. 

As the trolley takes you through the quiet, tree- 
shaded streets of Williamstown, the natural beauties 
of the place will evoke your enthusiastic admiration. 
It is the seat of Williams College. 

The town has a quiet, home-like beauty that ap- 
peals to everybody who sets foot there. The dwell- 
ings and the home surroundings betoken care and 
neatness. You pass broad, cool-sliadowed lawns that 
are not marred by fences. 

Cyrus W. Field had such a warm affection for 
the town that he bequeatiied $10,000 to be expended 
in making it even more beautiful. 

The terminus of the electric line is Bennington. 
\'t. This is a town rich in historic interest to all 
Americans. It is steeped in histon'. Almost everj' 
street has some reminiscence of the stirring deeds 
that were enacted here during Colonial days. Ben- 
nington has a glorious past, but it does not live in 
the past. It is one of the most prosperous and beau- 
tiful towns in a State that is famous for its wonder- 
ful, picturesque beauty. 




"nature's inimitable grace has touched this region with lavish hand" 



All around Bennington is a grand amphitheatre 
of hills. The Green Mountains roll away to the 
northwest. Mount Anthony, 2,000 feet high, is 
half a mile distant from the town. Below lies the 
valley of the Walloomsac, a small stream, along 
the banks of which are the factories that make the 
modern village of Bennington a hive of prosperous 
industry. 

A through train from New York to Williams- 
town, Mass., makes this entire Berkshire Hills 
region easy of access. Connecting with this train at 
Williamstown an electric express is operated to and 
from Bennington, Vt. 



A vacation spent in the Berkshire Hills will 
linger in j'our memory for years to come. Two 
weeks or a month spent in tramping over these hills 
will put vim and vigor into you — will make you fit 
to hold your own with the strife of city life. 

You are one thousand feet or more above the sea. 
The air is wonderfully bracing and exhilarating. It 
stirs your pulses. Involuntarily you throw your 
shoulders back and drink in deep draughts of it. 
For those who seek recuperation and recreation, the 
Berkshire Hills hold out pleasing inducement. You 
will have no difficulty in finding accommodations to 
suit your taste and purse. 



PB lb I 



PRESS OF THl^ KALKHOFF CO. 
NEV/ YORK 












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